Report spotlights impact of COVID-19 on adults with disabilitiesRates of COVID-19 hospitalization among adult Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities were almost 50% higher than rates among elderly beneficiaries with no disability, according to a study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).To describe the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and whether and how age contributes to disease rates, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assessed COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations from January 2020 to November 2021.
The study included adult (age 18 and older) Medicare beneficiaries who were either eligible because of a disability (disability-eligible) or eligible solely because of older age—65 years or older (age-eligible).Medicare is the US federal health insurance program for people aged 65 or older, but younger people with certain disabilities can also qualify.During the study period, COVID-19 incidence was 10,978 per 100,000 population in the disability-eligible group, compared to 8,102 in the age-eligible cohort—or 35.5% higher.
COVID hospitalization rates were 3,148 and 2,129 per 100,000, respectively, which is 47.9% higher.COVID-19 incidence and hospitalization rates increased with age in both groups.
Hospitalization rates were highest in American Indian or Alaska Native people, at 4,962 per 100,000 for those disability-eligible and 5,024 per 100,000 for the age-eligible."Continuing COVID-19 prevention efforts and focused messaging to persons with disabilities remain high-impact public health priorities," the CDC researchers conclude."Efforts to increase access to and use of COVID-19 prevention and treatment strategies, including activities that support